Spending time outdoors inevitably exposes people to the painful and itchy bites or stings of mosquitoes, gnats, chiggers, wasps, bees and other biting insects and pests (hereafter “insect bites.”) Generally, biting insects pierce the victim's skin with elongated mouth parts and inject their saliva to aid in the consumption of the victim's blood. The itching and irritation associated with insect bites is caused both by the structural damage caused by the bite as well as the victim's immune response to the insect's saliva.
Multiple strategies have been employed to address the unpleasant after effects of insect bites. There are both physical and pharmacological treatment options available that are aimed at soothing the itching and stinging associated with insect bites. One commonly used treatment for insect bites is to press one's fingernail into the bite, creating an “X” shape directly at the situs of the bite. This is a purely mechanical treatment that is thought to be effective by creating uneven pressure within the bite and thereby distributing the insect's saliva into a larger volume of tissue, thereby lessening its irritant effects. Similarly, prior art teaches a device for applying a crescent-cross configured pressure surface to a insect bite thereby effectuating itch relief. For example, a hand-held device with 2 intersecting arcuate fins that define an upstanding crescent cross adapted for pressing directly into an insect bite and creating unbalanced pressure within the bite thereby dispersing the irritant and stopping the itching associated with the bite.
In addition to purely mechanical treatments, a variety of topical pharmacological treatments are available to relieve the pain and itching associated with insect bites. Some topical treatments that have had success include, either alone or in combination, baking soda, ammonia, tea tree oil, rubbing alcohol, soap, vinegar, honey, underarm deodorant, bleach, tea, meat tenderizer, salt water, epsom salts, crushed antacid tablets, aspirin, various lotions, topical steroids, topical antihistamines, topical anesthetics, fruit juices, poultices of leaves, and other natural or pharmacological formulations.
One application device that has gained prominence as a preferred means of topical treatment delivery is the elongated pen-like applicator. These applicators, well known to those skilled in the art, generally comprise a means for storing the liquid to be applied, and an applicator surface that serves to transfer the liquid from the storage means to the skin of the user. The pen-like applicator has been successful because it allows for easy application of a liquid to the user's skin with minimal mess or need for other equipment such as cotton swabs.
While both the mechanical treatments and the pharmacological treatments have proven effective at reducing the itching and stinging associated with insect bites there is no device or method described in the prior art that teaches a combination of mechanical and pharmacological treatments for insect bites. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a insect bite itch stopper that combines a mechanical treatment for insect bites with the application of a pharmacologically active formulation with known itch stopping properties.